The heart of Catholic priest St. John Vianney will be on display March 30 and 31 at churches in Detroit and Shelby Township. (Photo: Knights of Columbus)
St. John Vianney, a beloved French priest known for his commitments to the community and the church, will soon make an appearance in metro Detroit.
While the religious leader has been dead for 160 years, his heart lives on.
According to a news release from the Archdiocese of Detroit, the relic of St. John Vianney is headed to metro Detroit as part of a national pilgrimage hosted by the Knights of Columbus. Titled, “Heart of a Priest,” the tour will feature the actual heart of Vianney, enclosed in a special casing. The heart has resisted decay since his death in 1859.
Stops will include the St. John Vianney Parish in Shelby Township on March 30 and Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit on March 31.
St. John Vianney was a French priest who was known for his generosity, prayerfulness and purity. (Photo: Knights of Columbus)
Vianney is part of a phenomenon known in the Catholic Church known as “incorrupt saints.”According to Slate, this involves a group of saints whose bodies never decompose, even if it has been years since the person’s death. Sometimes, it can affect only one body part, like an arm, tongue or, heart.
Also known as the Curé of Ars, Vianney was seen as a model for generosity, purity and prayerfulness in the Catholic Church, said the news release. Born in 1786, the priest grew up during the time of the French Revolution, which caused the destruction of churches and the murders of clergy.
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